Work Out Like: An MMA Champion

New England MMA fighter Brett Oteri tells us how to train like a champion.

Brett Oteri is a personal trainer at Equinox on Franklin Street, and he is also the¬†World Cup Welterweight MMA Champion. That’s right, an MMA champion just¬†happens¬†to be¬†moonlighting¬†as a personal trainer here in Boston. And it turns out that he is just like us: He hates the treadmill, has to diet regularly, and loves running outdoors. We caught up with Oteri to find out what it takes to be an MMA champion.

What’s¬†your¬†weightlifting¬†routine like?

Being a former pro bodybuilder I don’t do a lot of weight training for MMA, but I have done a lot in the past. I stick to the basic exercises like¬†deadlifts, squats, bench presses, weighted pull-ups, and lot of core [ab] work. I train total body twice per week and focus on increasing strength and power.

What is your cardio routine?

I love to swim and run. I do not enjoy the treadmill. If it’s cold and I am in a place without a pool I will use the Ergometer or Versaclimber¬†because¬†they are both challenging and work the whole body. I normally train with intervals and do one to five minutes of sprints followed by 30 to 60 seconds of rest.

What’s the¬†difference¬†between your¬†normal¬†exercise routine and training for a fight?¬†

Training for a fight is very time consuming. I have to balance the strength training, cardio training, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling each week, while also managing a 20 to 30 pound weight cut. Nutrition is a huge part of being able to train multiple hours per day without¬†overtraining¬†or getting injured. Most weeks I try to do each of the five things listed above twice for an hour to two hours each session.

How often do you workout a week while training?

About 10 workouts and 15-20 hours of training a week minimum, all while dieting to ensure I make weight for the fight.